Kiko Alonso signs three-year extension with Dolphins

The Dolphins announced they have given the linebacker a three-year contract extension, keeping Alonso under contract in Miami through 2020. The extension is worth $25 million, including $18.5 million guaranteed, which is tacked on to the $3.9 million restricted tender he received this season, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday.

The Dolphins prioritized locking down the 26-year-old linebacker after he compiled 115 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended in 2016, his first year in Miami.

The Dolphins acquired the linebacker in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles after one disappointing season, when Alonso was clearly struggling to return from a knee injury that wiped out his entire 2014 year.

As a rookie with the Buffalo Bills, Alonso became a cult-like figure in Western New York. The tackling demon was all over the field, compiling 159 tackles and four interceptions in 2013.

Alonso had an up-and-down campaign in 2016, sometimes looking like his former rangy self, while in other games getting lost in the wash versus the run and looking slowed by hand and hamstring injuries. Pro Football Focus ranked Alonso their 48th linebacker in 2016.

The Fins have signed Jones to a five-year, $55 million contract extension with $35 million in guarantees, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a source informed of the deal. The Dolphins later confirmed the signing.

The guaranteed portion comes in just under the $40 million that Eric Berry landed from the Chiefs last week.

The backbone of Miami’s secondary, Jones believes he’s the best safety in the league. After becoming the only player with at least five interceptions and more than 100 tackles in 2015, he ranked No. 64 on NFL Network’s The Top 100 Players Of 2016 countdown.

Although a torn rotator cuff limited him to six games last year, he continued to show Pro Bowl form early in the season.

“I wish all our guys played with as much effort and heart as that guy plays,” coach Adam Gase said of Jones after the Dolphins’ Week 3 overtime victory versus the Browns.

Jones is a sure tackler who attacks the line of scrimmage in the run game and flashes ball-hawking ability in the passing game.

In a trade announced late Thursday night, Los Angeles said the Dolphins have agreed to send their sixth-round pick (No. 206) in exchange for Hayes and the Rams’ seventh-round pick (No. 223).

“Will has been an integral member of our defense since he became a Ram in 2012,” Rams GM Les Snead said in a statement. “His passion set the tone for our defense and served as an example for his teammates. Off the field, he showed compassion as he was a major contributor to the St. Louis and Los Angeles communities, working to improve the plight of the homeless. We wish Will and his family the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.”